The Darkest Hour
Chapter Three
Shelter
Despite the bone-deep exhaustion haunting her and the blood-loss muddling her brain, Percy came to а mere half an hour later, the bouncing from Hector's quick pace making it impossible to rest naturally. A quick look around confirmed that they'd been keeping to the forest rather than open roads, lower tree branches missing her face by inches only thanks to Hector's consideration. There were no sounds of approaching enemies, so the demigoddess allowed herself a moment to take stock of her own situation.
Her shoulder ached in rhythm with her heartbeat, most of the arrow shaft still intact and sticking out of her flesh. She must have been extremely lucky it hadn't managed to break the bones of her shoulder blade, as she could feel the metal tip scratching against the surface of the bone with every shift. It seemed to have stopped or at least slowed bleeding at least, the fabric around it feeling stiff and sticky, painfully pulling at the skin near the wound.
She had no other major injuries thankfully, save for the multitude of scrapes and scratches covering the palms of her hands and the front of her body where it had dragged against the sharp rocks on the cliff face. Her muscles throbbed dully, as if she'd ran a non-stop 48-hour marathon against a team of dryads.
Zeus was still unconscious, slumped over Hector's neck in the same position she had hurriedly arranged him in. Thankfully she'd had the presence of mind to at least secure him to the saddle somewhat, looping a long leather belt around his waist and buckling it to the saddle. Even with the added stability, though, the trip must have been agony, if the quiet moans escaping even through the veil of unconsciousness were any indication. She could only imagine what it must feel like to have his torn open chest rub constantly against coarse horse hair.
Hector seemed to sense her returning awareness, because his pace slowed slightly, ears shifting sidewise as he waited for direction. He must have been running home, Percy considered, as she took in her surroundings more keenly. And while she would like nothing more than to urge them all towards the cave she'd made her home base, the ride would take almost a whole day and she doubted either she or Zeus would be able to hold on that long.
The scratches on her palms stung as she gripped the reigns, a few of them cracking open to sluggishly weep over the leather. She ignored them, tugging the reigns to the right. The horse immediately picked up on the unvoiced command and trotted deeper in the woods. While normal horses lacked the intelligence of Pegasi – the name Blackjack stabbed through her brain like a needle, but she pushed the flash of pain down – her and Hector had been together long enough to build a strong bond, assisted by her frequent telepathic jaunts in his mind as she tested her abilities.
It was black as death in the deeper forest, the thick, intertwined crowns of the trees concealing the moon and stars from view and Percy was forced to admit that galloping would be a bad idea, no matter how much she wanted to put space between herself and her pursuers. She might be able to see slightly in the dark, thanks to her godly heritage, but it was hardly enough to keep Hector from stumbling over the gnarled roots sticking out of the ground like monstrous fingers forever reaching for the sky.
For all her planning she hadn't truly considered she'd be forced to make camp before reaching the cave. True, her saddlebags had been filled with supplies for every occasion but it would have been beneficial to have scouted at least several potential camping spots along the way, if only she hadn't been so rash to jump headfirst into an unfamiliar situation. The years on the run might have beaten most of her impatient impulses out of her, but the remnants were still there, much to Percy's own disappointment.
The forest was quiet and still, not even a wind to rustle the leaves of the trees. The small stream she had taken to following making the only sound seemingly for miles around.
The loose hairs on the back of Percy's neck stood to attention.
Something was wrong. It was too quiet.
A light squeeze of her heels was enough to prompt Hector to slow down as the demigoddess straightened in the saddle, hand going to the sword at her hip as she examined their surroundings. For a moment there seemed to be nothing save for the oppressive darkness and unnatural stillness of the night. She was almost ready to brush off the falling feeling in her stomach as her own paranoia, pushed to the forefront by her exhaustion and wounded vulnerability.
And then the world exploded.
In a quarter of a second the darkness was pushed back by the glare of a thousand suns as the column of fire exploded their way. All the demigoddess could do was push herself out of the saddle and into the stream, mentally urging Hector to go, not that he needed much urging. Once the horse sensed the lightened weight on his back, he bolted into the woods, only barely escaping the fiery explosion, taking his remaining passenger away from the danger.
Percy's scream was muffled by the water as the fire arched over her back, the stream being way too shallow to envelop all of her. Her skin felt as if it was melting even as her powers worked to repair the damage, the water rising to shield her from the worst of it. If she'd been a normal human or even another demigod – except maybe a child of Hephaestus – she would have been burned to a crisp. The water around her started bubbling with heat and she had to actively use her powers to stop it from evaporating and leaving her vulnerable.
Thankfully, whatever it was, managed to keep the fire going for only seconds, even if to Percy it felt as if it had been hours. A veil of silence fell over the world as soon as it was extinguished. A part of her would like nothing more than to remain in the small stream forever, enveloped in peace and quiet, but she didn't even give herself the choice. Not when the monster could go after Hector and Zeus, who was certainly in no position to fight.
With a groan Percy forced herself to twist around, peering at the place the fire had come. What she had once thought to be a boulder moved, two large poison yellow eyes and a maw of long sharp fangs appearing from the nothingness.
"Fuck," She groaned under her breath. Only she would stumble upon a dragon's lair while evading Kronos' army. Talk about jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
The dragon's mouth was open, streaks of saliva dripping down fands bigger than her hand, sizzling when they fell on the ground.
Acid, Her mind supplied. Acid and fire and eyes which could freeze you in place.
The dragon roared and it was enough to break Percy from her trance. Her movements were not as graceful as usual, the pain and exhaustion draining her coordination, but she was thankfully fast enough to get her out of the line of fire and behind out of the boulders circling what she now recognized as a nest. It was just in time too as another stream of flames clashed against the place she'd just been.
Using the brief moment of safety, the demigoddess quickly took stock of what weapons remained on her. Her sword and daggers were thankfully still strapped at their usual places even if they would be mostly useless against a monster with such range of attack. She'd be burned to a crisp before she managed to get close enough. Her bow and quiver had survived as well, even if most of her arrows were probably scattered somewhere around the stream. The utility belt she'd taken on wearing had came out mostly unharmed as well, the enchanted leather keeping the vials of Greek fire, poison and several acids from spilling and causing even more harm.
For a moment Percy considered using the water of the stream to drown the beast or at least slow it down but brushed the thought away. Out in the open, with a horde of monsters possibly at her heels, using that amount of power would be equal to waving a red flag and screaming Here I am! Come and get me! It was one of the reasons she had rarely allowed herself big displays of power in the last few years even if perhaps it would have saved her quite a few headaches.
Taking a deep breath to steady her hands, Percy notched an arrow and aimed from around the cover of the stone, releasing her grip in the space between heartbeats. She didn't wait to see if it had hit its mark before she was moving, running through the trees and under the cover of another cluster of stones as the dragon roared in pain. A quick glance confirmed that she'd managed to land her hit in it's golden eye. Protected as it had been by a scaled eyelid, the force of her arrow hadn't been enough to sink into its brain, but judging by the bloody mucus which streamed down the side of its face she had managed to at least blind it.
Unfortunately it didn't take the beast long to realize the direction the attack had come from and it released a ballof fire towards her former hiding place, hot enough to melt stone. The water around its legs started bubbling from the heat, steam raising in the air to create a thin fog over the whole grove.
While for any other person the amount of steam in the air would have made for a frankly uncomfortable experience, it was somewhat of a blessing for the daughter of Poseidon. Immediately she could feel the familiar sharpening of her senses which came with contact with water. Before her mind could even finish the conscious thought to do so, Percy was out from behind the boulder, shooting two arrows in quick succession towards the beasts open mouth. The steam should be able to somewhat cover her scent, the demigoddess hoped, as she sprinted along the dried, cracked ground, this time taking shelter behind the thick trunk of a tree. Not the best cover, perhaps, against a monster with the ability to breath fire, but it would do.
Her heart beat loudly in her ears, almost overshadowing the sound of the dragon's roars as she shot one arrow after another towards it, careful to never remain in one place for long lest she got turned into a Sunday barbeque. The monster was starting to look like a pincussion by now, it's face and neck covered in sticking out arrow shafts, bleeding small streaks of red down its glossy black scales, sizzling as they dropped onto the ground. Still her arrows seemed to do nothing but anger it even more, its hide way too thick for her hunting bow to spear through.
Another tactic was needed.
Cursing silently, Percy slung the bow across her back, hand going for the sword at her hip. She didn't get the chance to draw it however, before the world suddenly exploded and she found herself flying, crashing into a tree with a crack which echoed though her whole body and back exploding with pain. Shaking her head to get rid of the dizziness – damn, she was probably concussed – the demigoddess looked up just in time to roll away from the enourmous paw coming to crush her into the ground. The fragile, charred rocks - remains of the large stone she'd hid behind - were still sharp enough the tear at her clothes and skin, leaving bright, concentrated pinpricks of pain behind.
The dragon must have swiped her away with its tail, she realized absently.
Staggering to her feet unsteadily, the heroine finally managed to draw her sword, thankfully unharmed. Most of her weapons were still present, even if the impromptu flight had scattered the rest of her arrows, leaving a single one to hand depressingly from the strap of her quiver where it had become tangled.
The whole left side of her body throbbed, especially at the area of her ribcage. Judging by the wet sound of her breath, she must have broken some ribs during her collision with the tree, possibly piercing her lungs.
The dragon, now able to see her fully and smell her blood in the air roared angrily, neck lighting up as the fire rose up from the middle of its chest. Groaning in pain at the movement, Percy threw herself to the side and into a rather small natural creek the stream had been flowing to. It was – thank the Gods – deep enough to allow her to sink fully this time as the fire skimmed across the surface. Heal me, she whished silently and the lake responded immediately, the dizziness abating and her ribs cracking into place with a sharp snap that made her body seize with pain. They were not completely healed – she could still feel the dull ache of cracked bone, but the pressure against her lungs lessened considerably.
Even underwater, she could hear the splash of the drakon's webbed feet as it stepped into the lake, hunting her from above.
Thinking fast, Percy clumsily untangled her last arrow, ripping a long strip of her cloak in the process. It was welcome though, even if that had been her best cloak, as it allowed her to secure the vial of Greek fire at the head of the projectible, clumsily securing the knot.
The dragon was nearly upon her, heavy head swinging above, casting a shadow in the water.
There was no time to take a deep breath, to steel her nerves or settle her mind. It was only instinct to survive which prompted her to move, exploding from the lake with a splash, arrow already nocked and ready. Even the monster seemed surprised by her boldness, rearing backwards, maw open in preparation to incinerate her.
Only it was exactly what Percy was waiting for.
The string sang as she released the arrow, sending a quick prayer it would fly true, before throwing herself back and away, willing the water to give her a slight push. The dragon was roaring wildly behind her, trashcan sized feet splashing and making the ground beneath her shake. A glance over her shoulder confirmed her success as green-tinted fire enveloped the monster's neck and belly, disintegrating it from the inside until all that was left was a shower lf golden dust and one of the horns from the drakon's head.
Danger temporarily gone, Percy allowed herself to collapse on her knees for a moment, breathing heavily. The steam of the air was dissipating, taking away its invigorating properties and leaving her shaky and weak. Still, her brief dip in the water had managed to fix the worst of her injuries even if– Percy grimaced at the realization – it had healed her shoulder around the arow still sticking out of it. She wasn't excited about having to cut it of herself, but maybe it was better than bleeding out freely.
As much as everything in her screamed to stop and rest and allow her muscles a moment to relax, she had to move, to find Zeus and Hector and figure out how to keep a severely maimed Olympian from fading.
Sighing, Percy circled the small lake, absently kicking away a pile of stones that had been stopping the natural flow of the stream, resulting in the formation of the small lake. The horn – her trophy – for defeating the dragon was similarly disposed of. She had no use for trophies in her life.
She tried to reach for her connection with Hector, but the stab of pain accompanying the attempt was almost enough to make her kneels buckle.
"Fuck," She growled under her breath, using the thick truck of a nearby tree to get her bearings even if the charred barked crumbled to dust beneath her fingers. "The old-fashioned way it is then."
Fortunately, in his desperation to get away Hector hadn't cared about hiding his tracks. It was ridiculously easy for Percy, who had been forced to become a rather skilled hunter if she didn't want to starve to death, to spot the indentations of hooves in the grass and mud and follow them.
Or she would have followed them if a figure hadn't appeared out of the trees to stand in her way.
Her hand instinctively flew to the handle of her sword as she examined the newcomer through hard eyes.
It was a wood nymph, a tall and springy woman with green hued skin and hair the color of tree bark, clad in a gauzy silken dress which fluttered in the wind. Her eyes, old despite the youth of her face were the shade of leaves under the sun, a bright piercing green which arrested Percy where she stood.
"Persephone Jackson." The dryad spoke, stern despite the quietness of her voice. The sound of her true name made the demigoddess stiffen, having been so long since it'd been spoken in her presence. And even before, it had been spoken mostly by her enemies, those unaware or uncaring of her preference of a nickname. It was worrying, to be recognized so easily after years of concealing your identity. Worrying and dangerous. Everyone believed she was dead and it allowed her the little freedom of movement in the titans' lands that she had. If word went out, if this nymph found a way to contact Kronos or his lackeys, Percy would be hunted down with the ferociousness of a wounded animal during a hunt.
"How do you know my name?"
The nymph snorted, lips twitching in what must have been amusement. "Come now, child, you reek of the ocean. Everyone knows Poseidon has had only one mortal daughter and if you would allow me to say, no child of minor god would be able to defeat a full-grown dragon with such ease."
"Ease?" Percy called back incredulously, feeling a thousand different aches throb at the reminder. "You call that ease?"
"You are alive, are you not? Not many could say the same after such a fight." The dryad turned around, stepping back into the forest. It was an obvious sign to follow her and after a brief moment of deliberation Percy did so, hand not leaving the pommel. As far as she was aware most of the nymphs had claimed neutrality after the end of the war and had been allowed to remain to guard their trees and rivers, despite having sided with the gods beforehand.
"I must thank you, Pers? Jackson." The dryad remarked as they walked. "The dragon you destroyed has been an annoyance to us for a long time. It burned our trees and polluted the stream which fed them. Finally, the forest can return to what it should be." Percy opened her mouth to wave away the gratitude, but was interrupted. "In return, my sisters and I will give you and your… companion shelter for tonight."
Percy felt torn between relief – she knew where Zeus and Hector had gone to – and suspicion – the pregnant pause in the dryad's words implied she was perfectly aware who exactly Percy's companion was.
In the blink of an eye Percy had drawn her sword and pressed the blade of it against the nymph's slim green hued neck. The dryad froze mid-step, though not before unwittingly pressing herself against the razor sharp edge of Celestial Bronze. The scent of tree sap spread across the forest as the greenish liquid that nymphs had instead of blood beaded out of the thin slice at her neck. Percy didn't let it deter her even if she hadn't really planned on hurting her as long as her answers were satisfactory. The fear she could almost taste emanating from the poor creature though could be a useful tool, the demigoddess mused, as she twisted her sword slightly against the tear, releasing more of the sap without causing much further damage.
"You know who he is." She demanded lowly into the dryad's ear, feeling the shifting of her throat as the she nodded slightly. "How do I know you and your friends won't rush to the titan king? After all he would no doubt rewards you handsomely for any information on me and my… companion, as you called him."
"We don't serve him." The nymph answered breathily, too afraid of cutting her throat open to speak louder.
"Yeah? That's not what I heard. You are free after all are you not?"
Her words must have been enough to anger her current prisoner, because when she spoke again her voice was strong and furious. "We did what we could to survive!" The nymph snarled. "But we have no love lost for the titans. Their pet monsters are destroying our forests and there is no one left to check them."
The demigoddess took a moment to consider the dryad's words. She herself had seen the result of the titans' rule on the wild. Monsters like the dragon she had defeated had been raised from Tartarus and then unleashed free upon the world to burn and destroy whatever they wished. The gods might have not been perfect but at least there have been those among them like Pan or Artemis who would protect nature against threats. And the Olympians hated monsters for targeting and killing their children.
With a sigh, Percy pulled away her blade and stepped back. While she couldn't trust the dryads completely, she was willing to take the risk if it meant helping Zeus. "Fine," She growled, nudging the gasping and coughing nymph forward. "Lead the way." And she did, with surprisingly little grumbling. Maybe she'd heard the stories about Percy and expected such a reaction, or the dragon had been really that much of a danger, but dryad – who'd introduced herself as Cypress once she'd managed to calm her breathing – didn't seem to hold much of a grudge about the threats.
They came out in a beautiful forest glade, big enough to allow a view of the lightening sky through the crowns of the trees. There were a few other dryads scattered around, talking among themselves and giggling, some on them weaving what looked to be flower crowns from the little flowers scattered around. And seemingly ignored, on the opposite end of the clearing Hector stood unharmed, with an unconscious Zeus still slung over his back.
Ignoring the curious glances thrown in her direction, Percy sprinted over.
Her horse was frightened and sweaty, but seemed grateful to see her, lipping at her braid in excitement.
"Good boy," Percy muttered as she patted the side of his neck, before turning her attention to the wounded Olympian. He seemed unchanged from the last time she'd seen him, at least look wise, but his skin felt warmer, which was a worrying sign. The rubbing against the horse fur must have caused the scabbed wounds to reopen and bathe Hector's whole front leg in golden ichor. "You could have at least taken him down!" She snarled at the direction of the nymphs as she prompted Hector to kneel so she could drag Zeus off him.
"We couldn't." Cypress told her. "If the titans learn we have aided him-" She didn't finish and there was no need. Percy was well aware how the titans punished those they deemed traitors.
"What about the shelter you offered? Won't they punish you for that as well if they find out?"
The nymph smirked slightly. "We are only protecting our glade." She shrugged. "If you somehow managed to sneak in, there is nothing we could have done."
The demigoddess couldn't help the slight twitching at the corners of her mouth, a suppressed smile trying to make itself known. Plausible deniability. While she was unsure what exactly had the wood nymphs promised the titans in return for their continuous existence, they seemed more than happy to explore any loopholes.
While she'd been talking to ?, the other dryads had been busy creating something like a bed at the roots of an ancient oak, covering the hard ground with leaves and downy moss. It looked super inviting after days of sleeping on horseback and short naps on river rocks, but Percy forced her exhaustion down. Gods, what wouldn't she give for a cup of super strong expresso!
Her arms trembled as she dragged the Olympian's dead weight over to the makeshift bed, carefully disposing him on his back, before crossing back over to rummage the saddlebags for her healing supplies. They had, thankfully, survived the ride even if most of dried herbs had crumbled to aromatic dust.
Using her powers to draw water from the ground would have been nearly impossible given her exhaustion. There was no need for it thankfully, a the newly released stream ran along the edge of the glade, clear now that most of the dragon's filth had been pushed downstream. Sha had a traveling pot packed in her saddlebags, even if lugging it to and from the river would be a chore.
While she would like nothing more than make a campfire to heat the water, experience had thought her that dryads were rather sensitive about fire near their beloved trees. And as little as she trusted them, it wouldn't do to alienate the only allies they currently had, especially as they had rather sensitive information to use against her. For all her battle prowess, Percy doubted she'd be able to kill all of them if things turned sour. It was enough to let one slip out alive to ruin everything she'd done.
Desperation had long ago thought her the enormity of her powers. Her control over water was complete, sometimes untrained and clumsy but immeasurable none the less. Heating and cooling water was well within her abilities even if it required more precision than most of her other skills. The key was, Percy had learned, in visualization. Water was made of molecules after all. With enough focus she could control their movement, speeding them up or slowing them down, depending on her needs.
Still, she was hardly in the best position currently to do so, proven by the way her headache sharpened as she brought the water to the boiling point. The lake might have fixed her concussion but the stretch of her powers constantly trying to heal her and keep her safe translated into bone-deep exhaustion and a splitting headache.
Browsing through the leather pouches containing the herbs, she picked out the ones containing yarrow and arnica, which would hopefully stave off the bleeding and hold back any possible infections. The rough journey had crushed the dried leaves finely enough that the demigoddess had no need to grind them, only adding some of the hot water and using a blunt stick to mix them into a paste like consistency.
While Percy had never been much of a green thumb and her knowledge of flowers had always been limited to naming the most well-known ones, her visit to Oggigia almost seven years ago had changed that. Calypso, lovely lonely Calypso, harbored such a deep love for all that grew, that even Percy had been drawn in it. Many days the two girls had spent wandering the island with Calypso pointing out various plants and fruits, with the enthusiasm of a mother praising her child, explaining what they were used for and how to prepare them. And the demigoddess, while not as enthused about the topic, had listened gladly, allowing herself to briefly shrug the worries of her shoulders. Little did she know how invaluable that knowledge would prove to be.
While Zeus' wounds might be more serious and urgent, Percy decided taking the arrow in her shoulder out first was the wiser course of action. While her skin might have healed around the arrow shaft, the fact that it was still inside, sharp edges tearing anew at her meat, meant that the mobility of her arm was severely limited. It would only hinder her attempts to help him.
Her tussle with the dragon must had broken the majority of the shaft, leaving her only with a jagged, two-inches long nub of wood sticking out of the skin of her shoulder. Grasping it and pulling it out was impossible even without the added challenge of its location.
Gods, that was going to be unpleasant.
With a sigh, Percy dropped one of her hunting knives into the boiling water to sterilize while she found herself a scrap of leather of leather to bite into. The last thing she needed was to scream and alert anyone in the forest of her attention.
Her cloak was easy to remove, torn and faded as it was, but her shirt presented more of a challenge. The dried blood had glued it to her shoulder, causing it to tug at the skin surrounding the arrow shaft, a small trickle of fresh blood escaping as the wound was torn open anew. In the end she decided to simply cut it, giving herself free access to the area.
Digging out the arrowhead was an excruciating experience.
Aside from the pain of literally cutting into her own skin without anaesthetic, the blood made everything slippery, restricting her precision as if no being able to see wasn't bad enough. She managed though and with a last wrench and nauseating tearing sound the arrowhead dropped with a muffled thump on the ground. Immediately even more blood welled up, trickling unpleasantly warm down her arm.
Spitting out the leather, Percy grabbed a water-soaked bandage to wash out the wound and stem the worst of the bleeding, before spreading some of the herbal paste into the wound and packing it in with a thick wad of clean cloth. Almost immediately the numbing effect of the arnica made itself known, making the demigoddess sign in relief.
Her own wounds mostly addressed – the smaller of the scrapes had been healed by her contact with the water and there was nothing to be done about the bruises and the ache of her muscles- Percy turned her attention to the unconscious Olympian.
The first order of business was to remove what seemed to be the remains of shirt, even if it was torn beyond recognition, so it wouldn't fall into his wounds. It took multiple canteens of water to wash out the dust and debris out of his chest so she could see the extent of his wounds.
It was a horrifying sight.
From his collarbones all the way down to his navel Zeus' front was a jumble of jagged ends and strips of skin, whole chuncs of flesh missing to reveal hints of gleaming organs and ivory rib bones.
Percy had spent enough time in Kronos' hospitality to be used to gruesome sights. She'd seen the bodies handing from the walls of Mt Othrys disfigured by vultures and wild animals. She'd seen a titan disembowel someone with a single swing.
And still, this was perhaps one of the more horrifying things she'd seen, considering that he was still alive and breathing, torn muscles twitching with every breath.
Percy knew nothing about godly healing. She wasn't even sure if God's could be healed by conventional methods. Still, surely wouldn't be helpful to leave him bleeding out all over the place. Carefully, she smattered the rest of the paste all over his front, before wrapping his whole torso in bandages which stained immediately gold from the ichor weeping sluggishly from his wounds. Once she was sure the wrappings were not too tight or loose, Percy collected the used bandages and ruined clothes, bundling the arrow tip inside so she could tie them to the saddle. She would have to burn them at the earliest opportunity, hopefully before the monsters were able to smell the copious amount of godly blood in the air.
The dryads had disappeared earlier but Percy could feel them watching, invisible eyes making the hair at the back of her neck to raise at attention. She should keep watch, she knew, even if her whole being protested the idea of another sleepless night violently. It must have been obvious how exhausted she was if even her horse noticed, subtly pushing her towards where Zeus slept.
Lady, rest. Hector's voice commanded nudging her deeper in the glade with his nose.
"I can't"
Rest The horse insisted, one hoof stomping the ground briefly reminding her of Blackjack. I watch. I hear good.
Percy considered for a moment. It was true that her hearing didn't even come close to that of a horse, especially tired and dazed as she was. And Hector knew enough to wake her up if he sensed something was wrong. "Fine." She agreed somewhat snappishly, rubbing the horse's neck in apology for her tone.
The dryads had deemed it unnecessary to prepare two separate beds, probably guessing she wouldn't wish to stray from the wounded Olympian's side. Instead of lying down, Percy sat at the foot of the oak, leaning her back against the thick trunk of the tree. It wasn't the most comfortable sleeping position but she'd had worse. And tired as she was it didn't seem to matter.
She was asleep in seconds.
She dreamed she was in a humongous room, made of gold and marble, with dosens of giant marble columns stretching from the gilded floors to the high ceiling. There were figures etched into the columns, scenes and battle and triumph, the flickering light of the hundred torches giving them surprisingly living appearance.
Curious and strangely unsettled, Percy approached one of the columns, peering up to the top where the image started. It took her a moment to make out exactly what was portrayed. It began with a picture of what must obviously be a battle, with two sides of warriors facing each other blades drawn and shields up. In the background there was a giant humanoid looking creature, swiping through the air. There were figures falling around it as well as structures that she realized must be carriages.
It was the battle, Percy realized. The battle she had lost.
The next scene switched to what she now realized was the throne room of Olympus. The two armies had been exchanged for two single warriors – a girl, small and frail looking, despite the snarling expression on her face and the menacing looking sword in her hand. She was facing against a giant – no a titan, whose arm was stretched forward threateningly, palm hovering over the smaller figure of the girl, ready to smash her into the ground at a moment's notice.
Frozen with dread and what must be the symptoms of severe PTSD, Percy would have probably remained rooted at the column, gazing at the image of her greatest failure, the worst moment of her life etched forever in stone, if it wasn't for the footsteps echoing through the enormous chamber.
Sucking in a breath, Percy slinked away from the image and into the shadows lingering between the rows of columns and the wall. The steps, two pairs of them if her ears were not wrong, seemed to originate from deeper in the hall and half curious, half-terrified, Percy approached, clinging to the places where the light of the torches could not reach.
It had been awhile since she'd had demigod dreams and even then, they'd been mostly glimpses and snatches and glimpses which left her to wake up jittery and shaking, covered in ice-cold sweat. But whatever the Fates wanted her to see now, whatever it was her freeing of Zeus had set in motion, she couldn't afford to miss it.
"-lord, it s-seems that Zeus has es-escaped."
Throne room, she was in a throne room, with a single man kneeling at the feet of the enormous figure on the golden chair. The demigoddess pressed her lips together to suppress the hiss threatening to escape them. She knew that cruel golden gaze, knew it better than she would have ever wished to. Once, she remembered thinking that those eyes looked too old, too cold, too wrong on a face which had belonged to a friend. She hadn't realized how much more terrible they would be on a face that fit them, on a being that portrayed that same ancient evil with every pore in his body.
"Escaped?" The voice was low and grating, powerful in the same way the rumble of waterfall could be called powerful and it made something inside her want to curl up and at the same time run as far away as her legs could carry her.
"Y-yes, my lord." The kneeling figure – well-dressed, probably a high standing servant – stuttered, visibly folding into himself as if he could disappear into the ground if he wished it strong enough. Percy would have been sympathetic, if he hadn't chosen to side with the titans. Any fate he suffered; he had brought on himself. Still, it couldn't be an easy task to bring such news to your famously cruel master. "Or rather, he was b-broken out."
"Broken out." Kronos sighed, though she, as well as the servant, could clearly hear the suppressed violence in his voice. He leaned back in his throne, the golden crown on his head glinting for a moment among the dark tresses all his sons had inherited. "HECATE!" He roared suddenly, making Percy flinch back into the shadows and the servant to whimper.
There was the distant thump-thump of hurrying feet before a woman, who Percy assumed must be Hecate - goddess of magic, burst into the throne room.
"My lord?" Her voice was cool and steady, but even from the distance Percy could see the tension in her muscles. Hecate for all her power seemed to be terrified of the titan king.
"Will you tell me how, despite all your assurances and spell, my youngest son has still somehow managed to escape?!"
The question left the goddess gaping and sputtering, her neutral mask momentarily broken through by surprise and dawning horror. "T-that is impossible my king. The manacles should have kept him completely out of touch with his power. Even if somewhat still managed to free him he should be no stronger than a mortal."
Kronos had stood from his throne through her speech and shrunken himself, no taller than a normal man as he advanced on the petrified goddess. "Are you absolutely sure, witch?" He growled, one hand raising to wrap itself around Hecate's slender, pale neck, not chocking but threatening, tilting her face up to look into her eyes.
By now visibly terrified, the goddess could only nod frantically.
"For your sake, I hope you are right Hecate. Otherwise, I promise you, I will chuck you in the deepest pit of Tartarus." With a twitch of his hand, Kronos thrusted the goddess away from him, making her stumble back, one pale hand rubbing at her neck. "You-!" The servant, more than happy to be ignored until now, tremblingly straightened to attention. "I want you to go to Atlas. Tell him to personally secure the other prisons. I won't have another escapee on my hands. And send a letter to the commander who was stationed with Zeus. I want him back here to receive punishment by the end of the week. His second may take up the post and lead the search party."
"U-understood, milord."
"Dismissed." Kronos growled and both the servant and the goddess scampered out of the room as if the hounds of hell were nipping at their heels.
Percy, still in her shadowy corner, stiffened as she found herself suddenly alone with the titan king. It would be only a matter of time before he noticed another presence, even if she was only dreaming. He had proved himself adept at finding her out even when he'd been inhabiting Luke's much weaker body – it was a miracle he hadn't felt her by now.
Desperate to wake up, Percy ran her hands down her front in search of a weapon. In was rare she was unarmed even in a dream.
She almost sighed in relief as her fingers wrapped around the familiar handle of a dagger in her boot. Praying he was distracted enough not to hear the hiss of metal she drew the blade from its sheath, the demigoddess held her breath in suspense, before plunging it down straight into the muscle of her thigh.
Liquid pain spread through her leg, almost making her cry out, but then her surroundings grew distorted and she found herself opening her eyes to the sight of a glaring sun.
AN:
First I'd like to say that I don't like this chapter. I've rewritten it from scratch four times by now and apparently it's impossible for me to get it to a point I'm satisfied with it. Still, it wouldn't be a great idea to keep trying to fix it because one, it makes me feel terrible and two - I think it's better to move along with the story rather than remain stuck on one chapter forever.
It's a filler chapter, I'm well aware of that. But the things that are happening and might seem unimportant for now will show up later in the story. It might be boring but it's needed.
Even now that I'm past this hurdle I can't promise I'll be able to keep to a posting schedule. My semester at uni starts tommorow and it will take a lot of my tame and attention (because I'm a masochist apparently and decided I had to start learning digital drawing, along with university, work and learning a new coding language on the side). At least hopefully I'll be able to add my own illustrations to my stories soon.
Thank you all for the wonderful response to this story.
Comments and Kudos are always welcome!